New York April Highlight: Film at Lincoln Center and Museum of Modern Art Reveal Lineup for New Directors/New Films Festival

Written By: Pappu Mazumder

Pappu Mazumder

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March 5, 2024 12:24 GMT+5:30

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Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and The Museum of Modern Art have unveiled the 53rd New Directors/New Films (ND/NF) festival, scheduled from April 3 to April 14, 2024. This esteemed event has, for over fifty years, been a platform for groundbreaking filmmakers whose creations resonate with contemporary narratives and envision the future of film, challenging traditional boundaries in novel and captivating ways. This edition will feature a diverse lineup of 25 feature films and 10 short films, including a world debut, 13 premieres in North America, five premieres in the U.S., and 16 debuts in New York.

The festival will commence on April 3 with the New York debut of Aaron Schimberg’s critically acclaimed drama A Different Man, featuring Sebastian Stan in a critically acclaimed role that won him the Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance at the Berlin Film Festival. Stan portrays Edward, a hopeful actor overcoming a significant facial difference. The festival will conclude with Theda Hammel’s Stress Positions, an engaging and unsettling queer comedy that unfolds in Brooklyn during the summer of 2020. The selection includes award-winning films from over 30 countries, with accolades from prestigious festivals such as Berlin, Cannes, Locarno, Sarajevo, and Sundance.

ND/NF serves as a beacon for discovering emerging global filmmaking talents, offering a window into the future of storytelling through cinema. It has been the launching pad for internationally celebrated directors like Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, Hou Hsiao-hsien, Kelly Reichardt, Pedro Almodóvar, and many others, connecting New York audiences with pioneering voices since its inception in 1970. ND/NF continues its original mission of presenting novel and engaging narratives to audiences, furthering its legacy as a pivotal event in the film industry.

Dan Sullivan, Programmer, Film at Lincoln Center, and 2024 ND/NF Co-Chair says, “It just feels right for us to bookend this year’s edition of ND/NF with two exciting new features by local filmmakers, as a reminder of what ND/NF has always been about: early encounters between the most cutting-edge emerging artists in international cinema and the New York audience who will be engaging with their work for years to come. Aaron Schimberg’s A Different Man is a delirious, complex, and hilarious work that evokes the best black comedies produced on the streets and inside the apartments of New York City in the 1960s and ’70s (with a healthy dash of body horror and metanarrative). Likewise, Theda Hammel’s similarly funny and spellbindingly chaotic Stress Positions conjures the irreverence and messiness of that era’s cinematic underground but in an utterly contemporary and accessible vernacular, yielding a comic and incisive picture of trans and queer life in the city.”

La Frances Hui, Curator, Department of Film, MoMA, and 2024 ND/NF Co-chair observes, “This year’s ND/NF lineup is a splendid exhibition of adventure, courage, and ambition. The latest class of new directors finds imaginative use of the film language to craft works that celebrate joy and love, while also reflecting on pain, conflict, and our shared humanity. Their creativity embodies profound insight and inspiration, reaffirming cinema’s relevance and essential place in contemporary expression.”

The selection panel for New Directors/New Films is comprised of individuals from the organizing bodies, with the feature film committee for 2024 including Co-chair Dan Sullivan (FLC), alongside Tyler Wilson and Maddie Whittle (both FLC), with MoMA represented by Co-chair La Frances Hui, Rajendra Roy, and Josh Siegel. The selection of short films has been curated by Katie Zwick from FLC and Francisco Valente from MoMA.

Ticket sales for the general audience will commence on Thursday, March 7, at 12:00 PM ET. Members of FLC and MoMA have the privilege of early access starting from Tuesday, March 5, at 12:00 PM. General admission is priced at $18, with a discounted rate of $15 for students, senior citizens aged 62 and above, and individuals with disabilities. MoMA and FLC members can purchase tickets at $13. The Opening Night event has tickets available at $25 for the general audience, $22 for the eligible discounted groups, and $20 for members of FLC and MoMA.

Enhance your festival experience with a 6-Film Package available for $99; the discount is applied automatically upon adding tickets to your cart, excluding the Opening and Closing night films. For an exclusive experience, opt for the VIP Pass priced at $400 for the public and $350 for members of FLC and MoMA, which includes two tickets to every screening plus two tickets to the Opening Night event and the subsequent party.

The New Directors/New Films festival is jointly organized by the Film at Lincoln Center and The Museum of Modern Art. The festival’s financial support comes from several sources at Film at Lincoln Center, including the New Wave Membership Program, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the New York State Council on the Arts, bolstered by the support of both the Governor’s office and the New York State Legislature. American Airlines serves as the exclusive airline sponsor for the Film at Lincoln Center.

Support for Film at MoMA is generously provided by CHANEL, with additional backing from the Annual Film Fund. Key support for the Annual Film Fund comes from Debra and Leon D. Black, with substantial donations from the Triad Foundation, Inc., The Contemporary Arts Council of The Museum of Modern Art, Jo Carole and Ronald S. Lauder, the Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP), The Young Patrons Council of The Museum of Modern Art, and Karen and Gary Winnick.

Assistance for travel is supplied by German Films, Unifrance, and the Taipei Cultural Center in New York, under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture, ROC (Taiwan).

FILM AT LINCOLN CENTER

As a beacon for the cinematic arts, Film at Lincoln Center (FLC) is a non-profit entity that elevates film as a fundamental art form. Located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York, FLC organizes leading film festivals, retrospectives, new releases, and film restorations year-round in its state-of-the-art theaters. It provides a platform for both seasoned and emerging filmmakers globally, engaging a dedicated film enthusiast community through flagship events like the New York Film Festival and New Directors/New Films.

Established in 1969, FLC is dedicated to sustaining the magic of cinema for diverse audiences, promoting exceptional film journalism via Film Comment publication, nurturing future film industry talent through the FLC Academies, and enhancing the cultural experiences of everyone involved with its initiatives.

Funding for New Directors/New Films at Film at Lincoln Center comes in part from its New Wave Membership Program, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the New York State Council on the Arts, with added support from the Governor’s office and the New York State Legislature. American Airlines is recognized as the official airline for Film at Lincoln Center. Travel assistance is provided by German Films, Unifrance, and the Taipei Cultural Center in New York, courtesy of the Ministry of Culture, ROC (Taiwan). For additional information, you can visit filmlinc.org and follow on social media platforms X and Instagram.

THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART

Celebrating over 80 years since its inception in 1935, The Museum of Modern Art’s Department of Film stands as a venerable institution for cinema, initially founded as the Film Library. As a custodian of cinematic heritage, past, present, and future, the Department boasts one of the world’s most significant collections of films, totaling over 30,000 across its permanent and study collections, solidifying its position as a leader in film preservation and a patron of new talents.

Through The Celeste Bartos Film Preservation Center, located in Hamlin, Pennsylvania, MoMA undertakes the restoration and preservation of films, which are then showcased worldwide and in many of the Museum’s varied programs, notably in To Save and Project: The Annual MoMA International Festival of Film Preservation. The Department of Film also celebrates contemporary cinema by recognizing films and filmmakers with potential for lasting historical impact through its annual Film Benefit, which secures funds for the collection’s ongoing expansion and maintenance, and The Contenders series, showcasing the year’s finest films as chosen by MoMA Film curators from major studio releases and leading film festivals.

Forward-looking, the Department of Film is dedicated to discovering new filmmaking talent and providing platforms for young filmmakers through initiatives like New Directors/New Films and Documentary Fortnight, playing a pivotal role in MoMA’s mission to collect, preserve, and present modern and contemporary art. In 1978, the department was honored with an Honorary Academy Award for its contributions to the public’s appreciation of movies as an art form.